


there is nothing to fear in these arms

by annabeth_writes



Category: Daredevil (TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Compliant, Daredevil S3, Domestic, Established Relationship, F/M, Language, Sexual Content, To a point, no spoilers for new season, since it doesn't really follow the plot at all, then it diverges
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-08-05 01:04:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16357655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annabeth_writes/pseuds/annabeth_writes
Summary: Karen finds out Matt is alive in the aftermath of Fisk's release. Someone is waiting for her when she comes home.





	there is nothing to fear in these arms

**Author's Note:**

> I technically started writing this before the new season of DD was released so I just kept going and finished it with the same plot I had in mind even though pretty much the entirety of s3 renders it irrelevant. Oh well.
> 
> Fic Title: Come Rest Your Head - The Sweeplings

Weary.

That was the only word that could accurately describe how she felt. From her aching feet to her thudding heart, every hard-earned beat proving that she was still alive against all odds. The world felt slightly tilted on its axis as she dragged herself from the elevator of her apartment building, a process that took considerably more effort than it should have. The normal facade she donned like a second skin slipped away with every step that she took, making her feel just a little heavier in the shoulders and a little sharper along the edges.

Once she reached her door, she slid her key into the lock and pushed her way inside, dropping her bag to the ground in the middle of the small entryway. Her shoes followed, spread out on the floor as she shed her jacket and threw it over the back of the couch. With a heavy sigh, Karen dropped onto the couch ungracefully, scrubbing her hands over her face as she tried to ignore the delicious smell wafting through the air. The last thing she felt like doing was eating, even if she knew it would taste fantastic.

It didn’t take long for the soft tread of footsteps to reach her ears, padding over her floor deliberately since the owner could very well be the quietest goddamn being on earth when he wanted to be. Her poor heart had been set to racing by him more than once when he forgot to let go of old habits of sneaking around. An unwavering hand appeared in her vision, offering a half-filled glass of deep burgundy wine. A huff of almost amusement passed through her lips as she took it in both hands.

_ Two hands. _

_ Never let go. _

His grip wasn’t always so steady. Karen followed the thread of thought as she sipped at the wine and heard him shifting behind her. It was better than thinking about what led her to this weary state and all too easy to recall the nights that passed with shaking hands and trembling breaths. Truths spoken in bare whispers as if the world might hear him if he spoke too loudly. Accounts of years spent overseas. Stories of a woman who felt less like a ghost and more like a simple presence with every passing day. Tales of two children who were owed a fuller life than they got, and that would always be tattooed on their father’s heart.

Just how it should be.

Karen never wanted him to forget them. She could see the fear in the depths of those endless dark eyes when he talked about him. That one day the memories would fade. Curtis told him to commit his life to paper in vivid detail even if he was the only one who ever read it so that he never had to worry about losing those memories. Karen was the one who bought him the thick journal and watched him fill it, the words he scribbled out falling from his lips as he told her everything he remembered.

_ You helped me remember. _

Karen’s eyes flitted to him as she licked a drop of wine from the corner of her mouth, watching as he sank onto the cushion next to her. His eyes were just as fathomless, just as intense.  _ Home  _ lived in those eyes. Karen couldn’t even remember when that began to ring true. It just was. An unshakable fact. Her fingers tapped against her glass as his strummed against his thigh. Silence brewed between them, like so many times before, but it was never uncomfortable.

“Thank you,” Karen finally broke it after a long few minutes, watching his eyes drop away like they always did when she said something like this.

It was too easy to remember the sound of the same words falling from roughened lips in that cold hospital. His skin painted with bruises and his body healing from his broken it had been. But his eyes were bright, just like always. Never missing a thing. Never wavering from her unless she said something that made him shift away, not sure how to respond.

“Thought you might ask for something stronger, after the day you’ve apparently had,” Frank said in that low, gravelly voice of his, looking at her again.

Karen glanced down at the wine in her hand and the smallest smile pulled at her lips as she lifted her eyes to him again.

“That may come later,” she admitted, shrugging one shoulder. “But it’s not what I’m thanking you for.”

“Yeah?” he asked, tilting more of his body towards her as he shifted on the couch.

Karen nodded, taking another sip of wine to steel herself for whatever words slipped from her tongue. She didn’t even know what she’d say before she said it but when she did, she realized that it was the only thing she could say after all that had happened that day.

“Thank you for never lying to me.”

The words were a trigger, setting off all kinds of memories in their heads. It was what they did. No lies. Just the truth, no matter how cold or painful it may be. Sometimes it was easier. Karen liked those days. But mentions of lies and truths always led them both back to that night, sipping on coffee in the low light of a diner about to close. She knew what it brought to the forefront of his mind and felt glad that she didn’t have to be the one to identify the sudden, massive elephant in the room.

“This about Red?” Frank asked, his eyebrows raising.

Karen didn’t bother to beat around the bush, nodding her head before taking another healthy sip of wine.

“He’s alive,” she whispered into the space between them, every fiber of her being wishing that it didn’t suddenly feel so far when everything around them and Frank himself seemed to grow still at her words.

But then his eyes shifted, darting over her face to take in every millimeter and expression she wore. His hand clenched atop his knee, curling into a tight fist before releasing again. His breath left his lips in a slow exhale as the world kept turning outside of the room where they sat. Then Frank snorted, the unexpected sound startling her enough to pull a small gasp from her throat.

“Course he is,” Frank said with a shake of her head. “Man doesn’t know how to stay down.”

“Sounds like someone else I know,” Karen said, setting her glass aside.

“M’nothing like him,” he muttered, turning away to brace his elbows on his knees, his hands locking together to hide the shake in them now.

Karen watched him, waiting for him to process it. She’d had a few hours since learning the truth. That over a goddamn year had gone by with Matt Murdock alive and breathing, against everything she thought was true, only to reveal himself to her and Foggy now. The worst part wasn’t all of the lies that felt so insurmountable before. She didn’t feel like hurdling over the damage he’d done would be such a hard process if it wasn’t for one simple truth.

He never intended to tell them.

It was clear in his voice and in his face as he recalled certain parts of the last year on that rooftop with her and Foggy standing side-by-side, so close that their shoulders brushed. A show of solidarity. That Matt shouldn’t just expect to stroll back into their lives after letting them believe that he was dead for so long. Then came the bomb of truth. The realization that his slow walk out of the shadows had nothing to do with the desire to reconnect.

“Wilson Fisk,” Karen said softly.

Frank’s eyes darted to her again, all the insecurities fading to the background as he stared at her with that heavy gaze.

“What did you just say?”

She swallowed hard and brushed her hand through her hair, sinking back into the cushions of her couch before speaking, ghosts edging in at the corners of her mind. Daniel Fisher. Ben Urich. James Wesley. Kevin Page.

_ God, Kevin… _

Blinking her eyes quickly, she forced herself to breathe and grounded herself there where she sat, refusing to let her mind drift to the past.

“He’s been released,” she said, the words settling heavily over the already tense room. “FBI deal, apparently.”

Frank didn’t say anything. He didn’t even move an inch, apart from the flare of his nostrils and the sparks of fury flitting across his face.

“Fuck,” he finally said, the word layered with meaning.

Karen exhaled shakily, nodding her head in agreement. There were many reasons for anyone to be afraid of Fisk. She didn’t have to explain why the mere mention of his name set her skin crawling. She helped put him away, with Foggy and Matt. That alone put her on a list that no one wanted to be on. Frank was likely there too. Fisk didn’t seem like someone who liked loose ends and she always had the feeling that Frank’s escape from that prison was eased by the kingpin who ran it. But then there were other reasons. Personal reasons. If he knew or if he found out what she did… she might just move to the number one spot.

She didn’t realize that her breathing grew more rapid until a calloused hand closed around hers. Karen’s eyes shot up and she looked at Frank, trying to center herself in him. In spite of everything, all of the shit they waded through both apart and together, she found levity near him. A calm that Karen hadn’t felt in years and years. It wasn’t just that he was a kindred soul. She’d take away his suffering in an instant if she could. His words from so long ago rang true for her and she didn’t doubt them now, even as his mouth opened to repeat them yet again.

“You’re safe,” Frank said.

She wanted to believe it wholeheartedly, and a part of her really did, but could she rely on that when Frank didn’t even know the whole story? He’d spilled himself to her so many times and though it made Karen undeniably happy that he was willing to do that, a part of her felt guilty because she’d never done the same. Not about Wesley. Not about Kevin. They only ever discussed her present. Never her past.

“There are things,” Karen breathed out, pulling her hand from his and turning her face away from him. “Shit you don’t know about me.”

There was a heavy beat of silence between them. Then another and another and another, crushing her under its weight until she thought she might crumble. Then he was there again, his hand gentle on her cheek as he turned her face back towards him, tilting her world back to where it belonged as he met her eyes with understanding in his.

“I know that,” Frank said.

Karen let out a soft sigh, tilting her face into his touch.

“I-I know that I should… I should tell you,” she said, her eyes falling closed as fear spiked in her chest.

Not because of Fisk or anything else. But because she didn’t want to change anything about how he looked at her.

“You’ve told me so much,” Karen acknowledged, unable to keep the slight hitch from her voice. “I owe it to you to-”

“You don’t owe me shit.”

His abrupt statement caught her off-guard and her eyes flew open, meeting his now determined gaze.

“Frank…” she breathed.

He shook his head, outright refusing to hear it.

“You don’t owe anyone, Karen,” Frank said, his confidence almost making her believe it. “Do what you need to do but only when you want to do it.”

She stared at him for a long moment before letting his words sink in. Karen knew that he had to know. There was no convincing him to stay out of the fight against Fisk and if they were going to do it all again and put him back where he belonged, he’d have to know the truth. Maybe Foggy and Matt would even have to learn it along the way. But she couldn’t. Not yet.

“I’m not ready,” Karen confessed.

Frank nodded, looking as though he expected that. Lifting her hand, Karen brushed her thumb along the collar of his t-shirt, her eyes following the movement just before she peered up at him again. The atmosphere in the room shifted as his eyes grew warmer and his tongue darted out to wet his lips. The hand on her cheek moved lower, his fingers brushing her jaw before he moved to tuck her hair back behind her ear.

“You wanna eat?” he asked, his voice sounding even huskier than usual.

Karen shook her head, her hand moving up to cup the back of his neck.

“It’ll warm up fine, right?” she said.

All it took was a nod from him for her to lean in as she let her eyes fall closed. It was barely a kiss at first. Just a soft, tantalizing brush of lips. Her breath grew shaky as his hand dropped to span out over her back, tugging her in closer, and she could have sworn she heard a hitch in his breath as she tugged at the short strands of hair at the base of his skull. Moving in closer, Karen felt her hair fall like a curtain around their faces as the kiss deepened, their mouths slotting together perfectly. It didn’t take long for his tongue to trace the seam of her lips.

Karen turned her body towards him, nipping at his lower lip as she tried in vain to fit herself over his lap. The couch was too small and her pencil skirt too restricting to allow any sort of movement like that. With a small, frustrated laugh, she pulled away and shook her head. Frank stilled in place, his eyes opening to watch her warily, clearly wondering if he’d done something wrong. Pushing up to her feet, she brushed one hand through her hair and took a deep breath before holding her hand out to him.

Neither of them said a word. They didn’t even make a sound. Frank’s head tilted back and he gave her a long look before sliding his hand into hers. Karen didn’t even wait for him to stand, turning away and tugging on his hand to pull him up and lead him back into the bedroom. As soon as they crossed the threshold, she dropped his hand and reached for the zipper on the back of her skirt only for him to bat her hands away and replace them with his own. Karen held her breath as she heard and felt him unzip it before pushing it down over her hips.

A slight shift of her legs was all it took for the skirt to drop to the floor and she turned as she kicked it away. She could feel his eyes on her as she fisted her hands in the soft fabric of his henley, tugging it up and over his head before letting it drop to the floor. In the fading light of the evening, she could see yellowing bruises on his ribs and a healing cut on his bicep. Sliding her arms around his shoulders, Karen aligned her body with his and coaxed him into a deep, consuming kiss that stole their breath and filled the room with electric tension.

Karen’s skin tingled in the aftermath of his touch as his hands delved beneath her shirt and explored the smooth expanse of her back. Tilting her head, she peppered kisses along his jaw as he dropped his head back, his hand gripping at her hip firmly. When she dropped lower and scraped her teeth over his pulse point, a hiss escaped his teeth and he scraped his blunt nails along her skin, eliciting a shiver from deep within her.

“Christ, Karen,” Frank ground out in a lust-filled voice, walking her backwards towards the bed.

She dropped her hands to the buttons of her blouse, undoing them with trembling fingers until the back of her legs hit the bed. The two halves of her shirt fluttered open once she pushed the last button through and it didn’t take more than a gentle nudge for her to sit back on the bed, shifting up further onto the mattress as Frank stared down at her with awe and indecision tangling in his dark gaze. Karen stared back at him, her lips parted and her chest rising and falling quickly.

“C’mon,” Karen said, not daring to speak above a whisper as she held her hand out to him again.

Frank’s eyes took her in slowly, seeming to savor the sight of her. It took a while for him to reach out, his fingers brushing lightly over her palm before he entwined them with hers. Karen tugged him into the bed with her, feeling it dip beneath their combined weight as his free hand fell to her knee and nudged it lightly. It didn’t take much for her thighs to fall open, her legs bending at the knee to wrap around his waist as he dropped slowly to the cradle of her hips, his hand rising to cup her cheek as he captured her lips in a gentle kiss.

Then suddenly, as if a physical band snapped in two, whatever tenuous restraint they possessed snapped and their kiss turned nearly feverish. Karen gripped his shoulders tightly as his arm slid around her waist, flipping them over as his tongue delved into her mouth. There was no soft refinement to their kisses. Just pure, hot desire that fueled them and made them desperate. When Karen pulled away to take a breath, Frank cupped her neck and tilted her head back gently, his lips moving to her throat.

Whatever air she managed to breathe in left her lungs in a rush as he trailed open-mouthed kisses over the column of her throat and scraped his teeth over her pulse. His lips were a sharp contrast to the roughness of his stubble. Karen knew that he was leaving her skin red and raw in the wake of his kisses. When he pushed her shirt off and tossed it away, skimming his stubbled chin over her soft skin, she let out a quiet whine and arched towards him, her fingernails digging into his shoulders.

Then he suddenly pulled away and Karen felt the loss of him immediately. Her eyes opened as he brushed his thumb over the strap of her bra questioningly. She nodded without hesitation, reaching back to unhook it. Frank took over, dragging the straps down her arms and baring her to his sight. The first time they did this, she’d felt the briefest urge to cover herself with her arms. Now she let his eyes roam, drinking in their fill and darkening with desire. His intense gaze had the power to set her aflame with its intensity. She relished in the attention he gave her even when he wasn’t touching her.

Lifting her hand, she pressed her palm over the healed over scar on his bicep, remembering the horror and pain she felt for him in that elevator when she saw shrapnel sticking out of that very spot. His scars were a part of him, for better or worse, and she’d kissed each one of them at some point or another, just like he’d done for her. Frank exhaled slowly, pulling her from her thoughts as his hand lifted. Karen’s lips parted slightly as his hand traced a path from her hip, his knuckles sweeping along the underside of her breast.

“Frank,” Karen said, her voice barely recognizable to her own ears.

He must have heard something in the way she spoke his name because she was on her back again before she knew it, her head on her pillow. Frank was on his knees, watching her carefully as if he waited for her to push him away. He always waited and never got what he feared. There was no part of her that rejected him now. Not after everything they’d been through, together and apart. She had no intention of letting him go. Reaching out, she grasped his hand and tugged him towards her as her legs opened to welcome him into her embrace yet again.

Her hands went to his back as his lips returned to hers. Karen mapped out smooth skin and mottled scars, making sure that he knew she was unafraid of them and, by extension, accepting of every bit of what made him the Frank Castle that she knew. He pulled away, looking down at her with an awed gaze once more. His hands were braced on either side of her head and when she reached up to wrap her fingers around his wrist, Frank followed the movement with his eyes.

“Touch me,” Karen said assertively, taking them both by surprise as she placed his hand directly over her breast.

Frank kneaded it gently, purposefully avoiding the one thing she wanted him to do the most. Her teeth sank into her lower lip, trapping a moan in her mouth. When he finally flicked his thumb over her nipple, heat shot straight to her lower belly and her hips lifted of their own accord. Frank let slip a groan as she rocked her core against him, feeling his semi-hard cock even through his jeans. Then he began rolling her nipple between his finger and thumb. As good as it felt, it didn’t compare to the feeling of his lips closing around her other nipple.

Her lustful cry urged him on and his tongue darted out to flick over it relentlessly. Then, tantalizingly, Frank pursed his lips around her nipple and tugged it into his mouth, releasing it very slowly. Pulling away, he dragged the flat of his tongue over her nipple at the same leisurely pace. A keening noise built in her chest and pushed out of her mouth in a sharp exhale as he repeated the same maddening process several times. Then he kissed his way to the other breast, applying his teeth to her nipple gently before laving his tongue over the peak.

Karen’s fingers slid into his hair, cradling the back of his head as shocks of pleasure spread through her entire body. When he lifted his head and surged up to kiss her again, she hitched her leg over his hip and rocked up into him, desperate for friction. Reaching between them, Frank pressed her hips back down onto her bed, ignoring her whine of protest. It was only when his fingers slipped into the waistband of her panties that she realized his intent and shivered in anticipation.

“Stop,” Karen groaned as his fingers teased at her.

Frank froze, looking up into her eyes and she realized how her demand must have sounded to his ears.

“Stop...teasing,” she clarified through her haze of desire, gripping his upper arms tightly. “Please...I need...”

Before she could explain exactly what she needed, Frank’s hand was gone. Karen only felt the slightest bit of disappointment before his fingers were hooking in both her panties, dragging them down her legs as she lifted her hips to help. She felt his hand drift up her inner thigh, soft as a feather, and nearly cursed aloud. Any words died on her lips when he finally, finally traced his fingers over her slick folds and teased at her entrance.

“You’re beautiful,” Frank finally spoke again. “My girl.”

HIs words sent a thrill down her spine as the flush in her cheeks spread down to her chest. She couldn’t help but feel herself grow wetter at the sheer want in his voice and the hunger in his eyes. Pulling him down, she kissed him deeply, catching his lower lip between her teeth and sucking gently. Frank’s chest rumbled and his thumb pressed to her clit, wrenching a moan from her throat. His nimble fingers knew exactly what they were doing, teasing and stroking and rubbing her to the brink. When he slid one, then two fingers into her slowly, Karen tossed her head back against her pillow and bit down hard on her lip to muffle her cries.

“No.”

The husky command caused her walls to clench around on his fingers as he reached up with his free hand, gently tugging her lip free.

“I wanna hear you,” Frank said, his eyes blazing with desire.

“Frank,” Karen whimpered.

His eyes flashed with approval and he crooked his fingers just right, reaching that elusive spot as his thumb rubbed tight circles over her clit. Frank held her gaze, pumping his fingers in and out of her as her lower belly coiled tighter and tighter. Karen was barely aware of the noises she was making, some of them low and guttural while others were high and pleading. Her release washed over her like stormy waves crashing against a rocky shore. The intensity caused her toes to curl and her hands to scramble for purchase over her messy blankets. Frank continued circling her clit, prolonging her orgasm until she was boneless.

“Too much,” Karen complained, too sensitive for his touch.

He pulled his hand away, rubbing soothing circles over her hip as she tried to catch her breath, her chest heaving and her walls still quivering with aftershocks. When she finally managed to clear her head, Karen opened her eyes. Frank was sitting back on his heels, watching her recover with a shadowed look in his eyes. Pushing herself up onto her elbows, Karen took a moment to test her weighted limbs before sitting up to reach for him. Frank adjusted, pulling her to straddle his lap with gentle hands. As she scraped her fingers over his jaw and brushed her thumb across his lower lip, she felt a tremor of desire run through her despite her recent release.

“I’m not done with you yet,” Karen said, well aware of how debauched she sounded.

She didn’t care and Frank didn’t seem to either. He leaned into her, slanting his lips over hers as his fingers traced the length of her spine. Then he was pushing her away carefully, sliding off of the bed to stand. She felt the slightest bit of disappointment that she was left alone until his hands went to his belt.

“Condom,” Frank reminded her, the one word sending heat rushing through her body.

Karen nodded quickly, turning to her nightstand. By the time she pulled the small foil package out of the small box and turned back around, he was kicking his pants and boxers from his ankles. Her breath caught at the glorious sight of him, just like always. As he climbed back onto the bed, she started to lie back onto the pillows but he caught her around the waist before she could. She let out a soft noise of surprise when he pulled her close to him and turned them over until he was on his back and she was hovering over him.

Feeling almost shy now in spite of their position, she set the condom aside and scooted up, tentatively wrapping her hand around his cock. Frank hissed out a sharp breath, his hips lifting as she stroked him at an unhurried pace. Karen could see the tension in his muscles as he tried to hold himself still, his jaw clenched and his eyes piercing hers. As she let her loose hold grow firmer, a loud moan escaped his from his clenched teeth and she flushed with pleasure at drawing the noise out of him. Frank caught onto her enjoyment quickly, reaching out to grasp her wrist.

“I’m not going to last very long if you keep doing that,” he said in a tight voice.

Karen nodded slowly, the corner of her mouth lifting as she felt a rush of satisfaction. He reached out with a slight tremor in his hand, picking up the condom and tearing open the wrapper. Wasting no time, he rolled it into place before tugging her forward. Despite his words, she couldn’t help but tease him a little, straddling his hips as she rocked slowly, letting her core slide over the length of his cock. She only managed to do it twice before he seized her hips with a warning growl of her name that she felt all the way to her bones.

Reaching between them with one hand, she guided him to her entrance and inhaled at the feeling of being filled so thoroughly and profoundly. Frank’s hands squeezed her hips gently, letting her know that she could move at her own pace. With her free hand braced on his chest, she let her eyes flutter closed and pressed down to let him enter her slowly, inch by inch. It was undefinable. He filled her so completely, making her body hum as they finally became one. When she felt like she could take no more, Karen stopped and let herself breathe. The slight burning stretch battled with the satisfying feeling of his cock seated deep inside of her, making her feel inexplicably complete.

“You okay?” Frank asked, restraint and concern in his voice.

Karen opened her eyes and met his gaze, nodding her head several times.

“Better than okay,” she said, rocking her hips slowly. “Always better.”

She tilted her head back towards the ceiling, feeling his hot gaze on her as her palms pressed to his chest. She moved at a steady pace, grinding and rocking and clenching down on him. It felt so incredibly right, like it was just how it should be. HIs hands didn’t stay still for long. Karen closed her eyes as they went from her hips to her thighs then traveled up to span her back. She briefly imagined that the heat from them was a brand, leaving imprints of his touch wherever it fell. When one of his hands slid up, she tilted her head back at the feeling of his finger and thumb teasing at her nipple again.

Her walls clamped down around him as her pleasure built up again, coiling tightly in her stomach. Reaching down, she began rubbing at her clit, his name a mantra on her lips as her eyes fell to meet his once more. Her orgasm approached quicker this time and she was just on the brink from the combined feeling of everything when Frank dropped his hands to her hips and pulled her off of him, earning a frustrated cry from her. He didn’t let her say a word, flipping her over onto her back and spreading her legs. Karen reached down to touch herself again, desperate for release. He caught her hands before she could, pressing them gently into the mattress on either side of her head.

“Not yet,” he said, his voice low and heady as he nipped at her lip with his teeth.

Then he was filling her again, slow enough that Karen couldn’t help but lift her hips in the hopes that it would speed up the process. Frank wasn’t tricked so easily, reaching down to hitch her leg over his hip. At this angle, he pressed in even deeper and she dug her fingers into his shoulders, pleas for more falling from her lips. As he began driving into her at an even, almost gentle pace, Karen let out a sob of need.

“God, Frank,” she groaned, trying to reach down for her clit again. “Fuck me.”

Frank batted her hand away and she reached around his back, scraping her blunt nails across his skin. He nipped at her throat in response and the sting clear her mind long enough to realize that Frank was trying to make this last as long as he could. With that in mind, she met him thrust for thrust, making their rhythm easier and earning an approving hum in return.

“Kiss me, then,” Karen said, turning her face towards him.

Frank didn’t hesitate to give her this, pressing their lips together in a heated kiss that put their others to shame. Feeling the sheer power of his body beneath her hands as he quickened his pace slightly had Karen as breathless as the feeling of him inside of her. She felt like there was a fire in her blood and it was all due to him. Pushing at his shoulders, she felt an immense amount of relief when he understood exactly what she wanted, sitting back on the mattress without even pulling out of her, his arms pulling her with him until her long legs were wrapped around his back and they were closer than ever.

Their movements grew feverish and Karen nearly sobbed as his hand slid between them to rub at her clit. She came for the second time almost instantly, her face buried in his neck and her nails digging into his biceps as they continued moving together. Frank wrung every bit of pleasure that he could from her body before thrusting into her with a hoarse shout of her name, his own orgasm overtaking him. She didn’t realize that she was pressing kisses to his overheated skin until he turned his head to meet her lips. Their kisses were almost lazy now, their tongues languid and their trembling bodies too exhausted to move much at all. She groaned as he finally moved her, gently laying her back onto the pillows.

Then he was gone and Karen was working on catching her breath, staring at the ceiling of her bedroom. It didn’t take long for him to come back and she couldn’t help but smile at him as he cleaned her up with a warm washcloth from the bathroom. Then he was lying next to her, taking her in his arms with her head pillowed on his chest. They didn’t bother to get beneath the blankets, knowing that they were still too heated for that. Instead their legs tangled atop the covers and their hands entwined on Frank’s stomach. His other hand stroked up and down her spine in a gentle rhythm as they laid there quietly.

“Ellison wants me to stay away from Fisk,” Karen said after a while, tracing her fingers along a scar that slashed across his ribs.

Frank huffed through his nose, making it clear that he thought it was just as ridiculous as she did.

“Man doesn’t know you very well if he thinks you will,” he said in a low, sated voice.

Karen worried at her lip, a part of her wishing that the world didn’t exist outside of this room. That she could lie there forever in Frank Castle’s arms and forget the rest of it. But she couldn’t. Not when so many people were in danger. Not when there was a job to do, nevermind that it had already been done once before. At least they had experience.

“Wilson Fisk is a poison,” she said quietly, yet with force in her words. “He’ll infect the city again if someone doesn’t stop him. Multiple someones, actually.”

“Don’t gotta convince me,” Frank said, still carding his fingers through her hair.

Then he grew silent, a weight pressing down on him that she could sense. Karen didn’t say anything, catching her breath in her throat as she waited for him to speak.

“I told Fisk in that prison that the next time we saw each other, only one of us would walk away,” Frank confessed, his body tensing beneath her as if waiting for some kind of shoe to drop.

Karen didn’t move, processing his words until she understood exactly what they meant.

“Can you live with that?” Frank asked after a period of silence, brushing his fingers along her spine.

She waited a beat before pressing a hand over his chest and digging her other elbow into the mattress to arch up so that she could look down at him. It was hard to know what question he was asking. Could she live with Frank going to face Fisk and dying in the process? No. Could she live with him killing Fisk? Maybe. Could she watch him go off to join the fight knowing that either of those things had every chance of happening? Karen had no idea.

“He has to go away forever,” Karen said, her words ringing with truth. “Either someone has to put him in a deep hole and lock away the key so he can’t work the system any more or someone has to kill him. Or else he’ll do this again and again.”

Frank nodded his head in agreement, making it clear that he’d run the same thoughts through his head.

“Nelson gonna try and go the legal route?” Frank asked.

“I don’t know,” Karen said truthfully, looking down at her hand as she felt the steady beat of his heart beneath her palm. “I guess we'll figure it out.”

Frank’s hand lifted, curving over her cheek. Karen’s eyes darted up to him again and she saw every emotion he felt in that moment bleeding into his eyes. He tugged a little, just enough to give her a choice about what she wanted. But Karen went willingly, ducking her head to press her lips to his. In her life, there were a lot of things she wasn’t certain about. Things that scared the hell out of her because she just didn’t know.

Frank Castle just wasn’t one of them.

**Author's Note:**

> I would love to hear what you think!
> 
> My tumblr and twitter are both @kastleslove


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